Sarah Marshall

A failing Doncaster primary school has been warned it must urgently improve teaching standards following an Ofsted inspection.

Waverley Primary School, Balby, was placed in ‘special measures’ following a visit from Ofsted in February last year when inspectors found ‘effectiveness of the school had declined sharply’.

Pupils are not challenged enough in lessons and they cannot solve problems effectively

Following a further three inspections, the most recent of which took place last month, the education watchdog has this week ruled the school must remain in special measures.

Inspectors said the decision had been taken due to a failure of teaching staff to take ‘effective action’ towards the removal of special measures, which is Ofsted’s lowest rating.

A new report from Ofsted cited ‘significant staff turbulence’ as a factor in the failure of pupils to make adequate levels of progress.

A total eight teachers have left the school since last February’s inspection.

The report states: “Due to changes in teaching personnel, pupils are now not challenged enough in lessons and they cannot solve problems effectively because they have limited opportunities to develop their skills in this area. This has resulted in standards remaining very low. The quality of work seen in many pupils’ books has declined more recently and reflects the significance of the staffing difficulties.

“The majority of pupils are capable of attaining a much higher standard than they currently do now and should be making faster progress.”

The headteacher at Waverley Primary School, Diane Humphrey, said: “The school is pleased that HM inspectors clearly recognised that systems and procedures of monitoring are robust and that senior leaders at Waverley are vehemently holding teachers to account, in their fervent determination to raise standards.”

Ofsted also criticised the attitudes of pupils’ towards learning.

The report said: “In too many classes pupils’ attitudes to learning have deteriorated. This is because the work they are given does not capture their interests or challenge them, and they become unmotivated and switched off. Furthermore, some teachers do not recognise or acknowledge low-level disruption in lessons and the impact this is having on other pupils in the class.”

Following on from the most recent findings, Ofsted has also ruled that the school may not appoint newly-qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection.